Railroad car barney



July 26, 1966 E. E. CHEEK RAILROAD GAR BARNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1964 INVENTOR. EDWARD E. CHEEK ATTORNEYS July 26, 1966 E. E. CHEEK RAILROAD CAR BARNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1964 INVENTOR.

EDWARD E. CHEEK flit, M

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,262,398 RAILROAD CAR BARNEY Edward E. Cheek, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to McDowell- Wellrnan Engineering Company, a corporation of Ohio Filed May 5, 1964, Ser. No. 365,051 8 Claims. (Cl. 104-162) This invention relates to railroad car barneys used to move railroad cars along a fixed trackway.

This invention is particularly adapted for use in moving railroad cars through thaw sheds into a rotary dumper. At present railroad cars are brought to the site of the dumper or thaw shed by diesel or steam-driven locomotives. From this point it is desirable to move the railroad cars through the thaw shed or dumpers by some mechanical means. Applicants invention solves this problem by providing a railroad car barney which is movable along a trackway centrally disposed within the rail road car trackway. The barney has secured to its frame a pivot arm which has a conventionally designed coupler secured to its extremity. The coupler engages a similar coupler on the railroad car for the purposes of moving the car along its trackway through the thaw sheds and into the dumper. I

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, the following description and annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but a few of the various forms in which the principle of this invention may be employed.

In the annexed drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a thaw shed 'and the fixed trackwaytherethrough in relation to the trackway of the barney.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the barney contemplated in applicants invention.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the .barney as it appears from the plane indicated by the line 33 'of FIG. 2..

FIG. 4 is an end view of the barney as it appears from the plane indicated by the line 44 of FIG. 2.

Briefly stated this invention is in a barney or carriage for moving railroad cars along a main trackway. The carriage is movable along a second trackway centrally disposed within the main trackway. The second trackway may be disposed below and parallel to the main trackway or it may be disposed within the trackway and then diverging in a direction below the main trackway. A coupler arm is pivotally secured to the frame of the carriage. A conventionally designed coupler is secured to one extremity of the coupler arm for engagement with similar couplers located at each extremity of a railroad car. Secured to the other extremity of the coupler arm are means for pivoting the coupler arm and pulling the carriage along its trackway in one direction into coupler engaging position with the railroad car. Also secured to the carriage are means for moving the barney along its trackway in the opposite direction when in engaged position with the railroad car. Means for limiting the pivotal movement of the coupler arm may be provided.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the annexed drawings there is shown a barney generally indicated at 2. The barney 2 has a coupler arm support or carriage indicated at 4 mounted on pairs of conventionally designed trolley wheels adjacent its front and rear extremities. The carriage 4 is composed of conventionally designed structural members. The carriage 4 is mounted on pairs of trolley wheels secured to the ends of front and rear axles which are journaled in conventionally designed spring mounted block means adjacent each trolley 3,262,398 Patented July 26, 1966 wheel. For example, the wheels 6 and 8 are secured to the rear axle 14 which is journaled in spring blocks, for example, block 16, which is spring mounted between springs 18 and 20. The trolley wheels are adapted to move the barney 2 along a second trackway composed of rails 22 and. 24, which are centrally disposed within the main trackway composed of rails 26 and 28. As seen in FIG. 1, the second trackway may be disposed below and parallel to the main trackway as generally indicated at 30, or it may be disposed within the main trackway for a distance and then diverge in a direction below the main trackway as generally indicated at 32.

A coupler arm 34 is pivotally secured to a pivot pin 36, which is secured to the carriage 4 intermediate the front and rear axles. The coupler arm 34 is secured to pivot pin 36 intermediate the arms free extremities. A conventionally designed railroad car coupler 38 is pivotally secured to the angularly disposed bifurcated extremity 40 of the coupler arm 34. When in a disengaged or engaged position, the coupler 38 extends beyond the rear extremity of the carriage 4. Secured atop the coupler arm 34 adjacentcoupler 38 is a coupler locking and unlocking mechanism generally indicated at 42.

The couplers of the barney 2 and a railroad car are held in locked engagement by the mechanism 42. The mechanism 42 may be mechanically or electrically controlled. In this embodiment of the invention the mechanism 42 consists of a pair of oppositely disposed pivot plates 44 and 46 secured atop the coupler arm 34 adja cent the coupler 38. Each plate has located therein an elongated slot, for example, the elongated slot 48 of plate 44. Movable in this slot is a pivot pin 50 which is secured to a lever arm 52 intermediate the levers extremities. 'The lever arm 52 has a conventionally designed coupler locking pin 54 pivotally secured at one extremity. The locking pin 54 is adapted to be inserted through the conventionally designed engaged couplers locking them in an engaged position. By rotating the lever arm '52, the locking pin 54 is removed from the couplers allowing them to disengage.

A cable 56 is pivotally secured to the other extremity of the coupler arm 34 by any suitable fastening means, e.g. pin 58 and eye bolt 60. The cable 56 is adapted to rotate the coupler arm 34 about the pivot pin 36 to bring the coupler 38, into engaging position with the coupler on the railroad car. The cable 56 is secured to a rotating drum (not shown) and is adapted to move the barney 2 along its trackway in disengaged position to pick up other railroad cars waiting to be moved into the dumper or thaw sheds. A spring 62, secured to the carriage 4 and the coupler arm 34 intermediate the pivot pin 36 and the rear axle 14, prevents the coupler arm 34 when in disengaged position, from hitting and riding on the rear axle 14. A limit plate 64, may be secured within the carriage 4 of the barney 2 to limit the pivotal movement of the coupler arm 34. The limit plate 64 keeps the coupler arm 34 from being rotated beyond the coupler axis of the railroad cars when they are on the main trackway. It should be noted that the disposition of the carriage or second trackway in relation to the main trackway depends on the length of the coupler arm 34 and its pivotal movement, and the angular disposition of the bifurcated extremity 40 to which the coupler 38 is pivotally secured. These components may be varied to position the second trackway below the main trackway or within the main trackway, depending on the location of the thaw sheds and dumper and the distance over which the railroad cars must be moved.

A cable 66 is pivotally secured to the front extremity of the barney 2 by any suitable fastening means, e.g. cable 66 wrapped around pin 68 secured to the barney frame and clamped by U-clamps such as clamps 70. The cable 66 is adapted to pull the barney 2 along its trackway in the opposite direction when the barney 2 is coupled to the railroad car. The cables 66 and 56 are similar but are adapted to move the barney 2 along its trackway in opposite directions. The barney 2 may be adapted to pull or push a railroad car along its trackway. As seen in the schematic drawing of FIG. 1, the barney 2 is adapted to pull the railroad cars along the main trackway from the thaw shed generally indicated at 70 into the dumper pickup position indicated at 72. Power retarders such as retarders 74, 76, 78 and 80 keep the railroad cars from freely moving down the downwardly sloped trackway.

Thus has been shown a new and novel barney for moving railroad cars along a main trackway. In providing a conventionally designed coupler at the engaging extremity of the coupler arm, to engage a similar coupler on a railroad car, the problem of how and where to grab the railroad car to give the maximum pushing or pulling action in the safest possible manner, has been eliminated.

Other modes of applying the principle of this invention may be employed instead of those specifically set forth above, changes being made as regards the details herein disclosed, provided the elements set forth in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such be employed.

It is, therefore, particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed as the invention:

1. A barney for moving a railroad car along a main trackway, comprising in combination:

(a) a second trackway disposed within the main track- (b) a carriage mounted on wheels movable along the second trackway;

(c) a coupler arm mounted on the carriage for rot-ation about an axis transverse to the second trackway;

(d) a pivot coacting between the carriage and the coupler arm intermediate the extremities of the coupler arm;

(e) means coupled to one extremity of the coupler arm for grasping a railroad car coupler to pull the car along the main trackway, said means when in pulling engagement being positioned further from the plane of the second trackway than the pivot, measured along a line transverse to the plane of said trackway;

(f) means coupled to the other extremity of the coupler arm for rotating the coupler arm to position said coupler grasping means relative to the railroad car coupler; and

(g) means coupled to the carriage for moving it along the second trackway, such that the coupler arm is in tension pulling the railroad car, and tends to rotate in a direction moving the coupler grasping means towards the plane of the trackway, thereby exerting against the railroad car coupler, a force to hold the railroad car firmly against rails of the main trackway.

2. The barney of claim 1, wherein the second track- Way is disposed below and parallel to the main trackway.

3. The barney of claim 1, wherein the second trackway diverges in a direction below the main trackway.

4. The barney of claim 1, wherein the pivotal movement of the coupler arm is limited.

5. The barney of claim 1, wherein a spring secured to the carriage and the coupler arm adjacent the pivot means, keeps the coupler arm from riding on the carriage.

6. The barney of claim 1, wherein the means for grasping a railroad car coupler is a railroad car coupler.

7. The barney of claim 6, wherein mechanical means secured to the coupler arm adjacent the coupler, are used to lock and unlock the couplers.

8. The barney of claim 1, wherein the coupler arm rotating means is also used to move the carriage in the opposite direction along the second trackway when the coupler arm is not engaged with a railroad car.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,166 11/1904 Esselius 104-176 1,125,283 1/1915 Fickinger 104-176 1,155,748 10/1915 Lovell 104176 1,571,732 2/1926 Norris 104176 2,356,336 8/1944 Metzger 213-161 2,443,546 6/1948 Wegg um 104-176 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

F. W. MONAGHAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A BARNEY FOR MOVING A RAILROAD CAR ALONG A MAIN TRACKWAY, COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) A SECOND TRACKWAY DISPOSED WITHIN THE MAIN TRACKWAY; (B) A CARRIAGE MOUNTED ON WHEELS MOVABLE ALONG THE SECOND TRACKWAY; (C) A COUPLER ARM MOUNTED ON THE CARRIAGE FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS TRANSVERSE TO THE SECOND TRACKWAY; (D) A PIVOT COACTING BETWEEN THE CARRIAGE AND THE COUPLER ARM INTERMEDIATE THE EXTREMITIES OF THE COUPLER ARM; (E) MEANS COUPLED TO ONE EXTREMITY OF THE COUPLER ARM FOR GRASPING A RAILROAD CAR COUPLER TO PULL THE CAR ALONG THE MAIN TRACKWAY, SAID MEANS WHEN IN PULLING ENGAGEMENT BEING POSITIONED FURTHER FROM THE PLANE OF THE SECOND TRACKWAY THAN THE PIVOT, MEASURED ALONG A LINE TRANSVERSE TO THE PLANE OF SAID TRACKWAY; (F) MEANS COUPLED TO THE OTHER EXTREMITY OF THE COUPLER ARM FOR ROTATING THE COUPLER ARM TO POSITION SAID COUPLER GRASPING MEANS RELATIVE TO THE RAILROAD CAR COUPLER; AND (G) MEANS COUPLED TO THE CARRIAGE FOR MOVING IT ALONG THE SECOND TRACKWAY, SUCH THAT THE COUPLER ARM IS IN TENSION PULLING THE RAILROAD CAR, AND TENDS TO ROTATE IN A DIRECTION MOVING THE COUPLER GRASPING MEANS TOWARDS THE PLANE OF THE TRACKWAY, THEREBY EXERTING AGAINST THE RAILROAD CAR COUPLER, A FORCE TO HOLD THE RAILROAD CAR FIRMLY AGAINST RAILS OF THE MAIN TRACKWAY. 